MIKE POV-

---- A few minutes earlier 12:59 PM ----

After receiving a confirmation text from Dustin, the group collectively sighed a sigh of relief. All worried by the small boy's unusual disappearance, as the last time he was left alone (in the wood) he almost got killed by Troy and James, but that wouldn't happen again, right? It would be inhumane and illogical for that to happen, and besides the two boys have been leaving Will along with the rest of the students alone since camp. Before the stabbing incident they were by no means popular, but getting beaten up by both Mike AND Lucas tarnished their reputation severely.

The ravenette searched with the athletic boy to scan the perimeter of the school looking for Will. Both diligent worried for their friend; Mike went into overdrive looking for him, and Lucas ensuring the boy doesn't hurt himself or others in pursuit of his missing 'boyfriend'?

Lucas was unclear what the situation between Mike and Will were: although a date for the pair could mean they were 'testing the waters'.

Upon reaching the courtyard Lucas stopped, a sombre look on his face.

Mike, noticing this peculiar behaviour turned around, his eyes widening, "Is everything okay?" worried for his friend's sudden change in emotion.

"I heard you asked Will out..." Lucas started, knowing it was better to get his feelings out now before the tension between became thick. The athletic boy had no Interest in perusing Will anymore if he was with the ravenette.

"Yeah!" Mike spat, defensive of the notion; it was clear Lucas still had harbouring feelings for the small boy as they told each other during camp, though something had shifted. What would Lucas even say to the situation? Would he be angry? Annoyed?

But the athletic boy's face morphed, his expression turning to a friendly one as his face softened, tenderly smiling, "I just wanted to say congrats!" Softly proclaiming, happy for the beginning of a relationship between his two friends.

"What?" Mike was taken back, he calculated Lucas to be furious or envious, but it didn't seem like that... not at all.

"Congrats" he repeated, his voice steady "All I ask is that you promise to make Will happy!"

"I promise, don't worry..." Mike chuckled

"But if you be mean to him, I will snoop in and take him for myself" Lucas playfully rolled his eyes

"I will literally fight you!" The ravenette deadpanned jokingly, causing both to laugh aloud, but the voices dying down; creating an uncomfortable silence as they refused to move from their spot.

"Lucas..." The ravenette's voice softened, scanning the features of his friend, breaking the void.

"I'm fine Mike!" The athletic boy waved his hands around, already knowing what Mike was going to say, "I told you that I would be fine if you got with him!"

"I know but... I know how much you like hi-" The ravenette began before being cut off

"MIKE!" the athletic boy nudged his side pointing up at the roof; his eyes widening upon seeing the sight. He could definitely see Troy strangling someone, it wasn't clear who. But Mike, after analysing the brunette's features for many days, and sitting behind him in class knew the back of Will's head.

"I-it's Will!" Mike shouted, scared of the words that came out his own mouth

"What?" Lucas's eyes widened, not wanting it to be true

"IT'S WILL!" The ravenette repeated loudly; rapidly running off with the athletic boy by his side as they quickly bolt up the stairs knowing exactly where to go, ignoring their shortness of breath and the shooting pain in their legs as the adrenaline filled them with only one thought...

Will...

EL POV-

---- 12:59 PM ----

El, Max and Dustin sat at their regular spot in the cafeteria, joking and teasing each other in their own playful ways. The absence of Will was noticeable, but the girls decided not to ask questions; taking Dustin's conformation of safety and to trust the mysterious whereabouts of the brunette. El knew her stepbrother, this wasn't something he would do but trusting his judgment, she slurped the straw of her strawberry milk trying to make the best of the situation to not think about it too much, or she would go hunting for her stepbrother again. The trio already searched for over 20 minutes all around the interior of the high school for the boy, before Dustin said he found him in the bathroom where he said he was just feeling sick.

As the conversation continued, El and Max couldn't help but engage in playful banter, exchanging romantic glances and flirty jokes making the curly haired boy groan in response.

"You two are insufferable!" Dustin chuckled shaking his head "Are all gay people so loud?"

The doe-eyed girl nudged her girlfriend "Aww! Don't be like that Dustin! You know you're our favourite straight person!"

"Straight?" The curly haired boy stifled back a chuckle causing the girls to exchange a surprise glance, their flirtatious banter momentarily forgotten. They retained composure, their eyes softening, the support evident in their eyes

"You're-" Max's eyes widened, but her voice quietening looking both ways "You're gay?"

"I'm pansexual!" Dustin explained, nervously giggling

"Well, congrats for telling us!" The two girls jumping up from their seat rushing to either side of the boy and engulfing him into a tight bear hug! Dustin was in the middle feeling their calming warmth; a sense of tranquillity filling him for a few moments.

Letting go, the two girls sat back at their seats planning to ask so many questions "I can't believe you're girly pop!" El smiled bright

"Never say that again!" Max shook her head disapprovingly

"How do you even know what that means?" The curly haired boy deadpanned

"Will taught me!" The doe-eyed girl chuckled, raising a hand into the air.

"So do you like anyone?" Max changed the subject

"Nope, no-one!" Dustin smiled bright

"Really?" The redhead raised her eyebrows "Although I guess it makes sense as you do have the perfect boy in front of you!"

"What?" The curly haired boy scrunched his face

"Lucas..." Max added

"No! Lucas and I are just friends... purely platonic friends" Dustin dismissed waving his arms around but not completely opposed to the idea.

"But it would actually be soo cute! OMG! Then we can go on a triple date! Me and Max, You and Lucas and then Will and Mike" The doe-eyed girl chirped in

"You both are crazy!" Dustin jokingly shook his head; his heart swelling with gratitude as the two girls accepted him, but honestly expecting nothing less from them.

"Lucas! Lucas! Lucas!" The girls' chanted. Max excitedly erupting with laughter continuing to chant, but El went quiet upon hearing her phone buzz. Picking it up immediately as she never allows her phone to be left on read for too long. Bringing it to her eyeline she squinted at the message, her brows furrowing in confusion, this was a weird text indeed.

"Hey guys... Listen to this!" Halting the conversation to read the message "Will sent me a text... but I don't get it"

"W-why?" Dustin worried checking his own phone, but seeing no message on his "What does it say?" hanging on the edge of his seat

"It says 'KELP HOOF'!" The doe eyed girl tilted her head "Maybe it was a butt-text..."

"Maybe he wants kelp?" Max added

"But he doesn't like kelp... he says it's too salty" El pondered

"Thats seaweed" The redhead remarked

"Oh..." El nervously chuckled "What about the 'hoof' part? I definitely don't remember him liking hooves" sticking her tongue out to emphasize her words

"I think maybe that part is a typo" The redhead proposed

"Yes... but a typo for what?" The doe-eyed girl threw her hands in the air

"I don't know!" Max copied her girlfriend "Floof, Poof, Roof, Aloof..." listing the words she could think of on the top of her head that rhyme, aiding in the decoding of the words.

Dustin, who had been abnormally quiet repeated the words under his breath. But when repeating the sentence using the word 'roof', the idea clicked in his head; knowing that's where Will was. He wasn't saying 'kelp hoof' he was saying...

"Help roof!" Dustin jumped up from his seat, decoding the secret message, his words laced with urgency "We need to go to the roof! RIGHT NOW!"

El and Max exchanged a glance but their instincts kicked in. In panic, they immediately arose from their seats, their hearts racing, leaving their lunch to follow Dustin's lead. They just knew something bad had happened as their feet propelled them to the rooftop. The heartbeats blocking the sound of the bustling halls.

WILL POV-

---- Back where we were with Will <3 ----

"Any last words?" Troy smiled sinisterly, wrapping both hands around the small boy's neck pinning him against the railings planning to throw him over

The brunette choked a few words "N-no ple-ase-"

Just as the tension escalated and Will felt as though he couldn't move, Mike and Lucas appeared, slamming the door of the rooftop. The boys stood menacingly causing everyone to turn around including Troy. The brunette used this to his advantage, kicking the boy in the nuts, dropping to the floor clinging to the railing and scampering away protecting his neck taking deep breaths.

The brunette sat on the floor as Troy stood over him, stepping closer now angrier than ever; his face with pure rage, determined to finish what he started.

The ravenette wasted no time following his instincts. Upon seeing his friend in distress, he launched over the table pushing pass the other bullies including James to get to Troy, "Leave him alone!" Mike shouted, throwing Troy against the railings hearing it slightly creak; a screw becoming loose.

Troy quickly jumped to his feet "I didn't know you were a homo too!" sneering in a mocking tone only resulting in another harsh punch from Mike to the nose. The ravenette threw himself on top of him landing a hefty blow.

James rushed over pulling the ravenette away, but only leading to a quick swing to his noggin. Another bully who Will recognised as a tough delinquent Henry Bowers quickly stepped in, pulling Mike away successfully, landing a few blows to the ravenette's torso

Will didn't know what to do as Lucas also seemed to be struggling, with the other two bullies. Troy, now free from Mike's grasp, turned his attention to the brunette, a sadistic smile on his face; this time pulling out a pocketknife, the same he used in the woods.

"Back away from him!" Lucas screamed at the raggedy boy but falling on deaf ears barely managing to take on both his pursuers from either side. The ravenette was on the floor, quickly dropping the boys but Henry grabbed his leg dragging him to the ground again. Troy seemed as though he was going to win approaching closer to the brunette who was throwing random objects near him, including dirt and random pieces of trash that littered the floor. But the raggedy boy knocked him to the floor climbing atop of him using the pocketknife to dig it deep into Will's thigh before removing it relishing in the act. Feeling the brunette wriggle under him, all seem lost until...

"WE'RE HERE WILL! WE'RE HERE!" A familiar female voice screamed, approaching the entrance of the rooftop.

Will's heart skipped a beat upon seeing them, a wave of relief rushing over him; the entire group of bullies faced them, stopping their attack; Now this fight had become a little more equal!

"Who are these Dickheads?" Max spat

"Aww little girl... Maybe you should go home" One boy condescendingly spoke "This is big boy stuff!"

But before the boy could even finish his sentence, the redhead delivered a well-deserved kick to the groin then kicking his head before standing up straight to adjust her hair into a tight ponytail. "We'll teach you to mess with our friend!" She screamed confidently charging the boy, encouraging her friends to do the same.

Dustin, although not the most gifted in physical combat, used his quick wit. Releasing an unending barrage of punches, kicks and whatever other lethal attacks he could use to overpower the bullies fighting alongside Lucas; using each other's skill-set to their advantage to apprehend the two older boys. The curly haired boy confused his opponent allowing Lucas to approach, striking them with hearty blows.

Max, known for her agility and strength, easily accompanied herself to the fight, seemingly wanting to get in a physical altercation with someone for a long time. No, Max Mayfield was not a dangerous or violent person, but seeing her friend in this position turned a switch in her head causing her to see nothing except activate her fight-or-flight and she chose to fight aiding Mike.

El, although not the most physically athletic knew what she was doing, able to duck and skewer away from the boys, rushing to her stepbrother; providing moral support ducking to his height. Taking her blazer from her back, she tied it around his thigh as Mike pulled Troy away from the pair wailing on him as James was nowhere to be seen; seemingly disappeared.

"You're okay! You're okay!" The doe-eyed girl whispered soothingly into the small boy's ear, cradling him in her warmth, providing a comforting presence, distracting him from the pain in his leg. She reminded him of his mother; this would be something his mother would do in this type of situation to shield him away from all that was bad, providing a morale boost.

Suddenly the doe-eyed girl was pulled away from the boy roughly thrown against one of the chairs on the roof. She yelped as James emerged from the shadows grabbing Will's leg, determined to finish the story. The brunette screamed clawing at James's hands, attempting to be set free. The rest of the friends wanted to help but too busy with their own fight to react quick enough.

El, knowing she needed to do something looked both ways, grabbing a flowerpot by the stem of the plant charging over at James "Don't touch my brother!" she yelled cracking the ceramic pot against James's head causing him to fall onto the floor writhing in pain shouting obscenities; producing a loud shockwave in the air as blood dripped from the boy's head.

Everyone stopped including the bullies, turning their attention.

"That's my girlfriend, Y'all!" Max joked. The distraction of the broken pot allowing Troy to flip over Mike to be on top; grabbing the knife to hold it against the ravenette's neck. The rest of the party didn't know what to do: one wrong step and poor Mike would be beheaded as Troy showed no mercy so far, planning to kill for what he wants.

The ravenette used his strength to kick the raggedy boy away, but Troy came back running faster than ever; knife in the air, in prime stabbing position. Will couldn't sit and do nothing, not after he caused this entire brawl to occur. With a heavy heart, and a bleeding leg he stumbled over quicker than the rest could react.

The brunette had a plan in mind screaming "NO!" tackling Troy against the railing, but the force of the two boys was too much; the railings hinges unscrewing itself; bolting away from the edge. Troy and Will fell off the building, their bodies flying through the air.

"WILL!" Mike screamed, holding a hand out, but it was useless; the brunette was too far gone. Approaching the precipice along with everyone else, the party and the bullies, watched as the two boys careened off the roof, the height would most definitely injure, if not kill.

Dustin gasped, covering his mouth...

It was the end of the book, seeing the brunette fall from this height...

And fall...

And fall...

And fall...

Will couldn't feel his body in that moment. As in all actuality, he was unable to feel anything as his body hit the ground, a white light engulfing him, feeling the soft crunching of leaves and sounds of wildlife...

Was he dead? 

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2708 Words

Beginning of the end

Stay Safe <3